Breakfast in Bed

One of my favorite Mother's Day memories occurred for a stint of time during my pre-teen years.  Jordan and I had a pretty substantial paper route and made a decent little allowance delivering papers to half our small town every afternoon.  But our early Sunday morning route made us earn every penny of that paycheck.  Dad was our driver and I have very vivid memories of being drug out of bed an hour before sunrise, picking up our hefty stack of the Sunday's Courier in front of the post office, and taking turns sliding the mini-van door open and shut and running to all the usual doors to get the paper there before the sun.  It was bitterly cold and miserable in the winter time, but I sort of loved being up before the rest of the world on those spring and summer Sunday mornings.   

Especially the morning of Mother's Day.

I remember the first time I had the idea to make mom breakfast.  I rode with her to Hy-Vee for Saturday groceries, but had my own pocketful of cash to do a little shopping of my own.  I wandered around the store, grabbed a container of pre-cut fruit, a muffin mix, and jam, and made sure to pay at the register and sneak the bag to the car without her noticing.  Then, when Dad and Jordan went back to bed for that hour or so before everyone was up for church, I tiptoed around our kitchen and made Mom her very first Mother's Day breakfast.  

I'm not sure how she slept through it, or maybe she didn't, but I will never forget how surprised she was and how much happiness radiated from her that morning when she came into the kitchen and spotted my hard work.  I remember sitting at the table with her, just the two of us up, talking quietly, sharing that plastic fruit cup, and feeling so proud to surprise her.  My heart swelled to see her happy, for I was sure what she felt was just a glimmer of the happiness I felt to be her daughter.  

Fast forward twenty or so years to this past Saturday.  I'm laying in bed, half asleep, half awake, and I hear the pitter patter of Cruz's feet on our hardwood.  I don't open my eyes and am half relieved when he walks around my side to Beau's side of the bed.  He whispers something, I assume about turning on the TV for a cartoon, and I roll over as the two of them exit the bedroom, shutting the door behind them. 

But soon I hear them.  I hear the gas burner kick on and the eggs sizzle when they touch the pan.  I hear the excited whispers from Cruz as he asks how to spell the words love, and mother, and happy.  I hear them both tell Mila to whisper, to stop coloring on the countertop, and to stop eating Mom's banana.  I smile as I hear Beau's guidance, Cruz's imaginative ideas, and Mila's wildness in the kitchen, and I feel so very blessed to be on the other end of this soon-to-be surprise.  

They all march in singing Happy Mother's Day to the tune of the birthday song, Cruz in front smiling from ear to ear, Mila and her bed head, in her polka dot pajama top and undies because her pants got wet from playing in the sink, and Beau in the back, balancing a tray complete with eggs over hard, fresh tomatoes and basil, a banana, and three vanilla wafers, per Cruz's request.  They all pile in around me talking a mile a minute as I attempt to listen and drink them all in at the same time.  Apparently Cruz's wonderful teacher hinted that maybe breakfast in bed would be a good way for the boys and girls to make their moms feel special and apparently my boy took that instruction to heart.  Beau was quite surprised to find Cruz by his bedside, whispering, "Daddy, let's surprise Mommy and make her supper for Mother's Day."  They had handmade cards complete with a portrait of me and a tiny gold package, with Mila's fingerprint made into a pendant to add to Cruz's.  It was the perfect start to Mother's day, brought to me by this little boy who wanted to surprise his mom and make her feel special.  And although I could tell how happy he felt to accomplish this surprise, how his eyes lit up as he explained his picture, or made sure to tell me he sprinkled the basil on the eggs all by himself, I realized then that what he felt was a small sliver of the happiness I felt to be his mama.

               

Every now and then, I have these moments where something happens and it sort of feels like I'm living outside of an experience, looking in at my life as it plays on a video reel, and everything comes together in this full circle.  I'm not sure why I have such vivid memories of making Mother's Day breakfast for my mom twenty years ago, but I sure thought about it Saturday morning as I laid in bed and listened to the loves of my life making me breakfast in the kitchen.  There's nothing more beautiful than this motherhood thing, for I'm convinced you get to witness your heart beat outside of your chest.          

19/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2016"

Cruz: I think you played hookie on us last Friday.  You told Daddy you didn't feel good when you got to school, so Daddy brought you home to me because I was working from home most of the day anyway.  When I told Beau to stop by the grocery store and pick up some sick kid food, you apparently requested chocolate pudding.  After a morning of cartoons and two containers of pudding, you said you were feeling better.  I told you the story about the little boy who cried wolf. :)

Mila:  You wore your twirliest dress yet for Mother's Day yesterday, and requested wearing my necklace with it.  You've been such a joy lately, continuing to talk at a mile's minute and amazing us with the things you come up with.  You held your own with your three big cousins at the playground Friday night, running away during a game of tag only to turn around and squeal, "nah nah nah boo boo!"  That and "No way, Jose`" are my favorites.  

Nearing the end of Whole 30...or am I?

We are nearing the end of Day 26 of this Whole 30 challenge and I stand here and say it's been incredibly eye-opening for me.  It's been 26 days since I've had a Diet Pepsi (this is a big one), a piece of chocolate, a chip, a handful of popcorn, a bowl of cereal, or anything restaurant except a Pablos' salad (hold the rice and beans, please) and our weekend at Mumford (more on that later).  And although Beau has been having mad cravings for pizza, nachos, ice cream, you name it this week, I can honestly say I'm still not there yet.  In fact, the thought of a Diet Pepsi or something from a fryer sounds downright terrible.  Putting nothing but clean and mostly fresh foods into my system for 26 days has transformed my relationship with food in every way.  I've always loved food and had a hard time visualizing myself finding success with something like this because I didn't want to rob myself of that joy.  But thirty days apart from some of my favorite things (like spaghetti) has only opened my eyes to the importance of food to my body and my life, and in return, we've started some new food habits that have been better for us in so many ways.  Produce no longer goes to waste in our fridge, an apple has never tasted so sweet, and my pants haven't felt this good in I don't know how long!        

Lessons learned this week...

1.  Breakfast, every day.  At first, I was pretty deliberate about having planned out breakfasts to make our mornings easier, however, the last week or so Beau and I have been making eggs and topping them with whatever we have in our fridge.  Sometimes, we go for an omelette filled with leftover veggies and a protein, other times, a fried egg (in ghee, of course) with a sliced avocado on top, and my favorite, scrambled eggs with halved cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.  Almost every morning, we have our coffee and eggs together at the table before heading out the door for the day.  This has been such a good change for us, and my new favorite way to start the day. 

2.  Did I mention meal planning?  This is the absolute, without-a-doubt, number one rule to a successful Whole 30 experience.  I plan my meals out on the weekend, get groceries, and coordinate with our schedule to make sure I have a mix of easy, interesting, and delicious meals that are going to provide leftovers to eat for lunches for the week.  Soups are a great option (this one and this one are my favorites), because they're generally easy to make and easy to bring to work the next day or two.  We always have the fixings for a good salad in the fridge, and Beau typically grills a bunch of chicken breasts at the start of the week to use as a protein.  Cashews, almonds, and Larabars are my go-to snacks, and I switch up my drinks from Coconut La Croix to iced tea to water with fresh lemons or limes.  Keeping things interesting and fun ensure that I actually look forward to my meals and not think about Jimmy John's #5.    

3.  Try new things.  This is what makes it fun.  Tonight, we had one of my favorite meals since starting Whole 30.  This pan-fried chicken with a creamy sauce of coconut milk and sun-dried tomatoes is something I probably would have never tried before.  It was so good, though, the kids even ate it, and there will now be a lot more coconut milk added to my pantry.  I love that I've made my own energy bites with chopped dates and cashews, that making homemade mayonnaise or avocado salad dressing is now second nature, and that drinking my coffee black makes me feel all grown up.  Oh, and I just purchased my second container of ghee.  I have arrived.  

4.  And lastly, we cheated.  Only a little.  I allowed myself a few Wisconsin cheese curds and a couple of beers at our Mumford concert, but did stay true to Whole 30 the majority of the time.  And last weekend while visiting Nate and Kate, Kate and I shared a bottle of red wine and I couldn't help but steal a hunk of a Dutch letter from the downtown bakery.  Those experiences and the foods that accompanied them were off plan and too good to pass up.  So, I indulged, felt a little guilty, and then mostly proud of myself for treating myself a little and then jumping right back in the Whole 30 mix.  According to the book, I should have started over, but let's not get too carried away... :)

So where do we go next?  Our official end day is next Wednesday the 11th and I haven't really thought about how I plan to celebrate.  That said, I do plan to implement much of the Whole 30 lifestyle as long as I feel motivated to do so.  The weekly meal plans, morning breakfasts, and far less convenience eating are all areas I am committed to keeping up with this summer.  And although I have every intention of Four Queens ice cream stops, maidrite picnics, and Mulligans patio beers, I hope these become celebrated treats and not everyday occurrences we easily take for granted.  

So, I guess you can say I'm a believer!  All those silly things the Hartwigs said would happen after the sugar dragon was slayed have indeed come true in my daily life.  I'm sleeping better, waking up feeling brighter and more rested, and I savor my meals and the food I eat in a completely different way.  Food has become less important, and more important all at the same time, and I've learned to tell the difference between real hunger and emotional appetite.  Most of all, I've identified a strength and a willpower in myself that makes me feel pretty amazing.  It's been a great reset right before summer and has gotten me even more excited for that garden that's going in this weekend.  Now if only we could grow an avocado tree...

Good Things // April

240.  Their sweet bond.  Their bathtub giggles.  And when I caught them shortly after soaping up each others' backs.   

241.  The way she pushes the hair out of her eyes constantly, yet refuses to let me put her hair in a ponytail. 

242.  Unexpected Anthropologie packages from friends, and a summertime apron that matches my kitchen to a tee.

243.  The way she sings Peace Like a River in a little soprano voice...and then shrieks all the words to Too Purpley at the top of her lungs.

244.  That first crisp spring night at the playground. 

245.  A little father son jam sesh...and all the words to Uptown Funk.

246.  A trip to campus on the way home from work to dance under the magnolia trees.  Their petals fell like snow and reminded me of the movie Pleasantville. 

247.  Sweet friends and cousins and neighbors who brightened our rainy Sunday with some May Day fun.  Cruz's preschool class went to New Aldaya to deliver May baskets to several of the residents there.  He had quite the stories when he got home, including this lady who wouldn't stop kissing his cheeks!  When I asked him what he did in return, he smiled and said "I kissed her back!" 

248.  His soft heart.  He can't make it through a Disney movie without tears.  It absolutely melts me.     

249.  When she parades into daycare with her uncombed hair and Cubs hat on backwards. 

250.  Early morning eggs with Beau.  Black coffee in pretty ceramic mugs.  Tulips pointing straight to the sky and the Lumineers on repeat.  Early pick up from school and windows rolled down in the car.  Hamburger soup on the stove top, giggles in the bathtub, and family story time in Mila's room.  That sigh of relief as I sink into the couch, the sounds of crickets and bullfrogs and geese singing my kiddos to sleep.  Spring, spring, spring. 

18/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2016"

Cruz:  We had a family sleepover with the Guess family in Pella this weekend and Cruz got to reconnect with one of his first friends, Harper.  I brought his sleeping bag and set up camp for him in our guest room for the night.  Mila was in bed with me and Cruz was on the floor on the other side of me.  I loved sleeping in between them and especially loved rolling over to spot his sweet eyes quietly studying the ceiling the next morning.  I asked him if he liked camping and he assured me he was ready for a real trip under the stars.  

Mila:  Mila scored big this weekend when Harper handed over three pairs of princess shoes and this bright pink tutu worn for her very first recital.  Mila was in absolute Heaven over this and wore either the shoes or the skirt (or both) for the rest of the night.  Beau and I caught her playing in the corner of her room yesterday night, wearing her crown and her tutu, holding her baby just like a little mother, talking sweetly and kissing her repeatedly.  It's not very often we catch Mila playing contentedly by herself, but when we do it's one of the sweetest things I've ever laid eyes on.